Women lawyers worldwide seek improved pay equity, carer support, professional development openings
Women are still struggling to be represented in leadership roles in the legal profession, according to the “Raising the Bar: Women in Law – Phase 2 Report” published by the International Bar Association.
The glass ceiling was among several persistent factors impacting the experience of women in legal workplaces. Other factors included gender discrimination, bullying and harassment, pressures of balancing work and family responsibilities, the gender pay gap, and career burnout.
Women called for better pay equity and transparency, as well as greater access to opportunities for professional development. Moreover, they sought enhanced support in mental health, for parents and carers, and for life stages like menopause and perimenopause.
Forty percent of the respondents to the IBA’s survey said they had caring responsibilities beyond or other than childcare, while about half had dependent children. Thirty-three percent reported that flexible working arrangements benefited their career progression.
Women also highlighted mentoring and support networks as key to talent retention, with 20 percent indicating that coaching and mentoring were influential career support initiatives. Overall, respondents said diversity and inclusion should improve across all legal practice areas.
For the “Raising the Bar: Women in Law – Phase 2 Report,” the IBA surveyed 5,000 women working in law across 100 jurisdictions. The survey, which was opened to women operating in various fields of law and even those who had recently stepped away from the profession, sought feedback regarding factors influencing the advancement of women’s careers and job retention and the efficacy of workplace programs addressing gender representation concerns.
The IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit released the report, supported by the IBA Diversity and Inclusion Council and the Women Lawyers Committee. The report went live on March 12 at Debevoise & Plimpton’s London office.
The IBA’s Raising the Bar: Women in Law project was initiated in 2021. Phase 1 conducted country-level research involving law firms, in-house legal teams, public sector institutions, the judiciary, and the bar.
